Pashmina is the fine, soft under-coat of the Capra hircus goat of the Changthang plateau in Ladakh. It is combed off by hand in spring and spun into yarn in the Kashmir valley. The finished cloth is sometimes also called pashmina. See the craft and from goat to garment.

All pashmina is cashmere; not all cashmere is pashmina. Pashmina is the very fine under-coat of a specific Himalayan goat. Other cashmeres come from other goats in other regions.

No. The goat naturally moults its under-coat in spring; the herders gently comb the loose fibre off the animal’s body with a wooden comb. No animal is killed or shorn.

A single goat yields perhaps 150 grams of raw pashm in a season, and one shawl needs around 80 grams of finished yarn. Spinning that yarn takes weeks. Weaving a kani shawl takes a year. The price reflects the work; very little of it is margin.

Yes, every one. Hand-spun, hand-woven, hand-finished. The yarn is spun on a wooden wheel. The cloth is woven on a wooden loom. The embroidery is by needle. Nothing in the ledger is power-loomed or screen-printed.

All pieces are made in the Kashmir valley by artisans we know by name. The raw pashm comes from Changthang in Ladakh. The dyeing, weaving, embroidery and finishing all happen in or around Srinagar.

‘Kashmir Pashmina’ is a Geographical Indication protected by the Government of India. Genuine pieces are tested by the Pashmina Testing & Quality Certification Centre in Srinagar and carry a small holographic label. See authenticity.

Because every piece is hand-made. A kani weaver finishes about a centimetre of cloth a day. A jaal embroiderer might pause for a week if the light is wrong. We do not hurry. The estimated time on each piece is just that — an estimate.

At the moment, by writing to us — the cart on the site is opening in a coming folio. The product pages have a ‘Reserve this piece’ note with an email link.

Yes, with full insurance, by DHL or FedEx. Customs duties at the destination are the buyer’s responsibility. Most international orders arrive within 7–10 working days of dispatch.

Within India: UPI, net banking, debit/credit cards (Razorpay). Internationally: card payment (Razorpay International) or wire transfer for larger pieces. Full details at the time of order.

Yes — within 14 days of delivery, unworn and unwashed, with the original packaging and tags. Commissioned and bespoke pieces are not returnable. See shipping & returns.

Dry-clean is safest. If you must hand-wash, do so in cold water with mild wool soap, never wringing, and lay flat to dry. See the care guide.

Do not cut it. Most snags can be eased back into the cloth with the head of a needle. If it is more than a small pull, send the piece back to us — we repair our own work in our workshop, often invisibly.

Cared for properly, several lifetimes. Some of the pashminas in our family are eighty years old.